Quality control
Quality control plays a crucial role in ensuring the reliability, performance, consistency of semiconductor etch and deposition processes. Using precision metrology tools ensures process optimisation. The SENTECH thin film metrology range of ellipsometers and reflectometers, in-situ, table top and fully automated tools for use in research and production can be used as part of your etch processes to achieve low non-uniformity, selectivity, etch rate control and monitoring, endpoint detection and chamber contamination control and film thickness control, low non-uniformity, adhesion, conformity, chemical composition and stress control in your deposition processes.
Industries:
- Electronics
- Optics
- Coatings
- Sensors
- MEMS and rf/power devices
- Production
The SENTECH range of thin film metrology quality control tools offer precise measurements of refractive index and film thickness which is vital to the performance, reliability, and functionality of optical and electrical device properties such as lenses and filters. Our tools help to identify and correct any issues related to uneven deposition and process defects helping to minimise material waste and optimise cost efficiency.
Using the SENTECH tools for quality control in thin film metrology ensures consistent and reliable performance of thin film-based products across applications such as sensors, MEMS, and rf/power devices and maintains uniformity and durability during production.
Explore the possibilities of Advanced ALE process optimisation using the SENTECH SI 500 ALE System
Increasing precision and sensitivity in etching new materials including 2D materials, is driving a requirement for increasingly precise etch rates in the sub-nanometer range. Atomic layer etching (ALE) is an emerging etch technique that fulfils this requirement, due to the cyclic nature of the process. However, ALE process development on a sub-atomic level is still a relatively new and challenging technique, therefore, in-situ monitoring capabilities are crucial for setting up processes and understanding relevant surface reactions promptly. The SENTECH SI 500 ALE tool has the proprietary Planar Triple Spiral Antenna (PTSA 200), a unique inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source that enables low-damage etching and additionally, the SENTECH AL Real Time Monitor in-situ laser ellipsometer for detailed process development and fully software-integrated endpoint observation.
In this case, two important tests were carried out, a Cl2-based ALE process for Al2O3 was investigated to find the “ALE window” and the synergy test, where the chemical component of the ALE process is validated. Both tests were carried out on a single sample, providing significant cost and time efficiencies.
